1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to safety devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to safety devices for protecting the gas tank of a motor vehicle.
2. Prior Art
With higher and higher traffic speeds and the need for more and more protection, it has become necessary to provide a means for protecting the gas tank of a motor vehicle. A variety of protective means have been developed to protect gas tanks to prevent the gasoline from escaping from the tank during an automobile collision. One such example is to place a resilient liquid proof bladder inside the gas tank. Such bladders prevent the gasoline from leaking from the tank during accidents but are extremely expensive to manufacture and install. Another means for protecting a gas tank is by placing a frame around the gas tank. The frame basically comprises a pair of side members which are reinforced by crossing members which are located both in front and in back of the gas tank which is fixed to the frame. In this manner, the gas tank is held by a pair of side members extending along the side of the tank and by a pair of front and back crossing members thereby increasing the protection provided the gas tank during a collision. However, such a structure suffers from drawbacks such as the tank will be damaged by a broken or bent rear crossing member when the motor vehicle is struck from behind by another car or that the gas tank will be pushed forward into one of the corners of the front crossing member causing the tank to be punctured or to be ruptured when the motor vehicle runs into the rear of another motor vehicle.
Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a protective frame structure for an automobile gas tank which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above.